If you are a night owl, insomniac, taco bell fan or can recall your college days you are familiar with the 4th meal. It’s the middle of the night and there is just a hint of hunger pains, in order to cut them off, food is required. It usually plays out this way: You open the refrigerator door and look inside, not sure what you’re looking for until it strikes you and then there is that deep sense of satisfaction allowing you to continue on with your night of work, video games, or last second cramming.
Churches are like refrigerators to some people, the curious come and open the door staring blankly inside. Not sure what they are looking for exactly but something, something they can’t put words on but they know they need.
My generation likes the search, they like the journey; but they aren’t necessarily looking to find. Often they want to connect with God but they don’t use spiritual tools to make this connection. The community of church can provide the encouragement for them to make that honest and authentic connection with Jesus Christ.
My generation, call us the boomerangs or the lost generation or Mosaics, is searching, at our core we understand that there is a void. We are receptive, and with the right tone and delivery we will listen to what the church has to say.
But many are just looking in refrigerators. They don’t know what they want. They just know they are hungry. They may not know they are hungry for the Word, but they are searching. It is the churches responsibility to show them exactly what they need, namely the Bread of Life and Living Water. Real churches create an essential community where the essential truth of Jesus Christ is experienced.
This community is one where hard to love people find unending love; where people learn how to engage a world searching for truth. It’s one where sins are washed away, a place where the community is inclusive and the exclusive Gospel is proclaimed. A place where people think outwardly instead of inwardly. It’s more than a white box; it’s a different kind of community. It’s the community where Jesus lives
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Gospel or Religious-A Conclusion
I had an interesting discussion with a friend, not based on this verse, but a trait of the religious none the less and the idea was something I have never even thought about, and I LOVE new ideas.
I believe "the religious" are also integrally tied to and associated with buildings. Those that do not have the faith to worship an unseen God must ground their false hope in something visible and tangible, but such things are always shaped in a way that satisfies the worshipper. Architecture can powerfully convey a sense of awe that can easily be misrepresented as a "spiritual" experience. Those who are committed to false religion fiercely guard their buildings. That was true in Jesus' time as well as today (as we well know). And I had never thought through this: The gospels clearly record the tearing of the temple veil from top to bottom at the time of Christ's death. I believe this is stated plainly in Scripture to declare the end of the dependence on the temple. God's presence was going out from the holiest place to reside in the hearts of believers by the presence of the Holy Spirit. However, the temple remained in use for another 30+ years. Someone either sewed that veil up, or had a new one made. The "religious" will not give up their buildings even when God works to destroy those buildings by his own hand. However, God will not be mocked, and as we know in 70 AD it was torn down stone from stone.
I am not devaluing the buildings we call “churches” or sanctuaries” simply saying that the good easily becomes god in those 4 walls.So now what? We point out the traits, now what do we do in light of them?I agree reiterate I am more prone to display the tendencies that I have just decried than to act like a saint. But I think it was Professor MacLean who once asked my theology class “Are you saints who have sinned, or are you sinners who have been forgiven?” My apologies if misquoted. I think the point is the Pharisees were self-deceived. They genuinely thought they were being effective in missions, doctrine, etc. They were in denial, as many are today if we give an honest evaluation of the state of the church. I would say that Paul thought he was being effective as a pre-converted Pharisee (Phil. 3). And at times I certainly have been just as guilty. I can recall thinking that if you did not have a Sunday night service you were a liberal and did not love the Bible. But making that or similar issues a test of one's commitment to the Word of God, well that is straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel. Methodology is temporary; a commitment to the eternal is what is lacking.
I say this both at a personal level in my own walk with God and to the church as a whole.What are the things we really value? Are they self deceptive? If heaven had everything that you think it does streets of gold, loved ones, no pain, but NO JESUS would it still feel like heaven to you? Is God a means to an end and when the world goes awry we walk away because God didn’t keep His end of the bargain? Religious people practice religious stuff, but love less. We feel ok with a soup kitchen or Thanksgiving baskets and are ok with flipping them the bird the rest of the year.Are we consumed with religion and not gospel? Religion makes you selfish and self focused. Gospel is a response to the overwhelming love God has given us.Long story short, return to the Gospel. Stop the checklist, drop the filthy rags and seek authenticity and honesty in a relationship with Jesus Christ. I believe with all my heart this will cost us. If we preach it in our churches many will leave because they are more into the religious checklist than the cost of following Jesus. After this sermon, Jesus was crucified; it’s not popular. On a personal level it will cost us friends and the approval of others because we are following the foolish things and placing a stumbling block in their way.
I love the Gospel more than _________Fill in the blank and follow through
I believe "the religious" are also integrally tied to and associated with buildings. Those that do not have the faith to worship an unseen God must ground their false hope in something visible and tangible, but such things are always shaped in a way that satisfies the worshipper. Architecture can powerfully convey a sense of awe that can easily be misrepresented as a "spiritual" experience. Those who are committed to false religion fiercely guard their buildings. That was true in Jesus' time as well as today (as we well know). And I had never thought through this: The gospels clearly record the tearing of the temple veil from top to bottom at the time of Christ's death. I believe this is stated plainly in Scripture to declare the end of the dependence on the temple. God's presence was going out from the holiest place to reside in the hearts of believers by the presence of the Holy Spirit. However, the temple remained in use for another 30+ years. Someone either sewed that veil up, or had a new one made. The "religious" will not give up their buildings even when God works to destroy those buildings by his own hand. However, God will not be mocked, and as we know in 70 AD it was torn down stone from stone.
I am not devaluing the buildings we call “churches” or sanctuaries” simply saying that the good easily becomes god in those 4 walls.So now what? We point out the traits, now what do we do in light of them?I agree reiterate I am more prone to display the tendencies that I have just decried than to act like a saint. But I think it was Professor MacLean who once asked my theology class “Are you saints who have sinned, or are you sinners who have been forgiven?” My apologies if misquoted. I think the point is the Pharisees were self-deceived. They genuinely thought they were being effective in missions, doctrine, etc. They were in denial, as many are today if we give an honest evaluation of the state of the church. I would say that Paul thought he was being effective as a pre-converted Pharisee (Phil. 3). And at times I certainly have been just as guilty. I can recall thinking that if you did not have a Sunday night service you were a liberal and did not love the Bible. But making that or similar issues a test of one's commitment to the Word of God, well that is straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel. Methodology is temporary; a commitment to the eternal is what is lacking.
I say this both at a personal level in my own walk with God and to the church as a whole.What are the things we really value? Are they self deceptive? If heaven had everything that you think it does streets of gold, loved ones, no pain, but NO JESUS would it still feel like heaven to you? Is God a means to an end and when the world goes awry we walk away because God didn’t keep His end of the bargain? Religious people practice religious stuff, but love less. We feel ok with a soup kitchen or Thanksgiving baskets and are ok with flipping them the bird the rest of the year.Are we consumed with religion and not gospel? Religion makes you selfish and self focused. Gospel is a response to the overwhelming love God has given us.Long story short, return to the Gospel. Stop the checklist, drop the filthy rags and seek authenticity and honesty in a relationship with Jesus Christ. I believe with all my heart this will cost us. If we preach it in our churches many will leave because they are more into the religious checklist than the cost of following Jesus. After this sermon, Jesus was crucified; it’s not popular. On a personal level it will cost us friends and the approval of others because we are following the foolish things and placing a stumbling block in their way.
I love the Gospel more than _________Fill in the blank and follow through
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